Clothesline laundry protector



April il, 1950A J. MAsLEcK 2,503,345

CLOTHESLINE LAUNDRY PROTECTOR Filea Aug. 2, 1947 @La v6 Patented Apr.11,1950

OFFICE oLoTHEsL'INE LAUNDRY PROTECTOR John Masleck, Transcona, Manitoba,Canada Application August 2, 1947, serial No.. 765,784

1 claim. (ci. al1-4191s) My invention relates to a clothesline laundryprotector, an object of the invention being to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is intended tolie upon theclothesline, and thus protect laundry hung thereon from being stained orin any undesirable way marked by dirt, or corrosion for example whichmay be clinging to the clothesline.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thecharacter herewithin described which is in the form of a reel oflongitudinally counter-folded tape preferably secured to a conventionalclothesline pulley and bracket combination and housed within asurrounding enclosure or casing, but otherwise secured to a wall orother suitable support adjacent one end of the clothesline.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described, which, in a modication of the tape per se islongitudinally stitched adjacent the line of fold to preserve the tapeas permanently folded.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described wherein the external ends of the tape may beclipped to an endless clothesline for frictional engagement therewith sothat as the line is moved, the reel of tape will be unwound andautomatically lie on the line as it emerges, the reel being preferablyattached to and projecting from the associated conventional clotheslinepulley and bracket combination with a pulley secured to the armature ofthe reel so that the tape will be rewound upon movement of the line inthe opposite direction all for the purpose of eliminating the necessityfor a separate operation of pulling out the tape and re-winding it as bymeans of a handle in substitution of the pulley herewithin described.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterherewithin described which is of conspicuously simplified construction,simple to operate, inexpensive, and which will give long service withoutattention.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects andadvantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthis invention relates as this specication proceeds, my inventionconsists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all ashereinafter more particularly described, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspectiverepresentation of my clothesline laundry protector in situ and incombination with a conventional clothesline pulley and bracketcombination or secured to a supporting wall.

Figure 2 is a side elevation shown partly frag` mented of my reelenclosure or housing.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective repre-"- In the drawings likecharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures.

It is `well known that considerable annoyance is caused to housewivesand others by the discovery of dirt, stains and the like upon laundrywhich has been hung upon clotheslines, particularly in industrial areaswhere smoke settles upon the line. In the case of metallic lines also,oxidization is responsible for considerable staining.

Accordingly, I have devised a unit for attachment adjacent one end of aclothesline as illustrated in the accompanying Figure 1, whereby theline may be protected efiiciently and conveniently as clothes are placedthereupon, in such a way that the clothes and other laundry will not bein contact with the line.

My invention accordingly consists of an enclosure, which as illustratedtakes the form of a housing I of substantially semi-circular shape, andhaving a pair of parallel side walls 2, the device being mounted bymeans of a pair of brackets 3 secured to and projecting horizontallyfrom the vertical yoke 4 of a conventional clothesline pulley andbracket combination collectively designated 5. Adjacent and positionedexternally of one side of the housing I is a reel operating pulley 6 towhich is keyed an armature 1 spanning the side walls 2 and beingjournalled therein. This armature is diametrically slotted as at 8 toreceive the inner end of a reel 9 of laundry protecting tape I0.

The tape I Il is wound upon the armature 5 in a longitudinallycounter-folded state as is best illustrated in the accompanying Figure 3and is intended to emerge through a transverse slot II in housing I. Thetape is preferably longitudinally stitched as at I2, that is, adjacentthe line of fold I3 to assist in the permanent preservation of the saidfold. By reference to Figure 1 it will also be noted that the externalend I4 of the tape has secured thereto a spring clip I5 whereby the samemay be frictionally secured at any point upon the length of theunder-run IB of an endless laundry line I'I.

The under-run I6 of the laundry line I'I passes over the pulley 6, andfrom the foregoing it will be apparent that laundry may be convenientlypegged upon the clothesline Iadjacent the end thereof which isillustrated in the accompanying Figure 1 at the same time as the tape I0is automatically played out with movement of the line in View of theexternal end thereof being clipped thereto las aforesaid.

Conversely as the dry clothes are unpegged and detached from theunder-run I6 adjacent the end of the clothes line illustrated in Figure1, and the said under-run moves in the direction of arrow i8, it will beapparent that the tape Il! will be wound on to the reel 9 due torotation of pulley 6 and armature 1 under the influence of thefrictional contact of the line with the pulley as clearly depicted.

From the foregoing, it will be recognized that I have provided aconspicuously simple means for preserving laundry against thepossibility of soiling, staining and the like, without any inconvenienceto the operator, and since various modifications can be made in myinvention as hereinabove described and many apparently widely differentembodiments of same made with the spirit and scope of the claim withoutdeparting from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matterscontained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted asillustrative only and not in a limiting sense and I desire only suchlimitations placed thereon as are specically expressed in theaccompanying claim.

What I claim as my invention is:

The combination with a conventional clothesprojecting from said yoke andsupporting said housing, and means for attaching the end of said tape tosaid clothesline for unwinding said reel during the movement of saidclothesline around said pulley.

JOHN MASLECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 536,661 Spahn Apr. 2, 18951,174,614 Russ Mar. 7, 1916 1,287,535 Washburn Dec. l0, 1918 1,576,387Whelan Mar, 9, 1926 2,151,489 Vat Mar. ,21, 1939 2,166,649 Tarlazzi July18, 1939

